


Vigil: Casting Out Demons

by elaine



Series: The Vigil Series [11]
Category: due South
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, M/M, Romance, Series: The Vigil Series, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-02-17
Updated: 1999-02-17
Packaged: 2018-11-10 19:45:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11133486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elaine/pseuds/elaine
Summary: Ray is investigating a crime which impacts on all his family. Please read the introduction first.The Vigil Series.





	Vigil: Casting Out Demons

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

Vigil: Casting Out Demons  
this story is dedicated to Matthew Shepard, who died for the "crime" of being gay.  


 

The sharp trill of the phone interrupted him in the middle of instructing his newest, and possibly most ineffective member of staff yet. He reached for the phone, suppressing a sigh of relief. "Sgt Fraser."   
  
"Benny?"  
  
Only one word, and he knew there was something wrong. "Just a moment, Ray." Ben looked up at his subordinate. "We'll get back to this later, Constable Williams." He waited until the door closed behind her back. "What is it, Ray?"  
  
"Do you know where Fraser and Gil are?" The strain in Ray's voice was obvious.  
  
His fingers tightened on the phone, but Ben managed to keep his voice calm. "They were planning on studying in the library all afternoon. Why?"  
  
A sigh gusted down the phone line. "It's OK. I'm just overreacting again. I wanted to know where they are…"  
  
"Ray, what's happened?"  
  
There was a sudden outburst of voices from the other end of the phone. "I'm sorry, Benny, I gotta go. I'll be late tonight…" There was a long pause. "You'd better watch the news… all of you."  
  
The tone of Ray's voice worried him, but it was clear that this wasn't the time to ask questions. "We will, love. Take care."  
  
"Yeah… you too, Benny." A faint click and he was gone.  
  
*  
  
The apartment was very quiet, though the lights were still on. It wasn't that late… only just after ten p.m., but Ray hadn't been sure what to expect. He paused to hang his coat in the closet. It had been cold again tonight, Fall was fast approaching. Ray swallowed his sudden nausea.  
  
He stepped back to close the door and bumped into a warm, solid body. Ray turned into a tight embrace and a long kiss. When they parted Ray examined his lover's face carefully. Tired and worn… Benny looked much older than he had this morning. Ray supposed he did too.  
  
"Where are the boys?" They'd been on his mind all day, and it hadn't helped him one little bit.  
  
Ben smiled sadly and nodded towards the lounge. "In the kitchen, getting your dinner out of the oven."  
  
"What is it Benny?" There was something he was holding back. They'd been together too long to be able to hide things from each other very easily.  
  
Ben's fingers stroked his cheek and Ray turned his head slightly to kiss the broad palm. His lips grazed the wedding ring, still shiny and new. "Gil knew him… he's taken it very hard. So has Fraser."  
  
"Oh." He hadn't thought of that. It added a whole new level to his anxiety. He didn't want to face them, or the questions they were bound to ask.  
  
Ben kissed him again. "Come on. You look exhausted. Have you eaten at all today?"  
  
Eating was the last thing on his mind, but Ray allowed himself to be led into the lounge and pushed down onto the couch. Ben perched beside him and laid an arm across his shoulders. A moment later the two boys came out of the kitchen with his dinner.  
  
They were both pale and had obviously been crying, but they were more or less under control at the moment. Ray allowed Fraser to place the tray across his lap, but waved away Gil's offer of a beer. He didn't want to drink right now. He picked at the risotto with his fork and lifted a few grains of rice to his mouth. After a couple more nibbles at the food his body's responses kicked in and Ray realised he was ravenous. His family was silent while he ate, and he slowed down, once the plate was close to empty, putting off the moment when he would have to tell them all that the news program would have left out. Finally it was empty and Ben took it from him and placed it on the floor beside the couch.  
  
The two boys had been sitting on the floor watching him, but now Fraser moved up to the couch, pulling Gil with him. They sat very close together, Fraser with his arms around his lover, his chin resting on Gil's shoulder. Two pairs of eyes, one blue, one brown, watched him expectantly.  
  
Ray sighed. "I'm sorry, Gil. I didn't know you knew him."  
  
The brown eyes brightened with tears and Fraser's arms tightened. "I didn't know him very well, but he was such a nice guy. Always helping people. We talked a couple of times about my family, and… well, you know."  
  
He knew. Since Gil's family had thrown him out and he'd had come to live with them, Ray had had a few talks with Gil himself. It had helped the boy to know that Ray had been through the same kind of experience himself. He reached out and brushed a stray tear from Gil's cheek and he sobbed and leaned into Ray's arms. Fraser came with him and Ray had his arms full of two unhappy kids. Another body pressed against him from behind as Ben's arms encircled as much of them as he could reach.  
  
Ray stroked the bright blond hair gently. In the last few months Gil had become a part of the family, and it hurt him to see either of his sons so upset. It didn't help that he was hardly less emotionally involved than they were. A soft brush of lips against his neck was more comforting than he would have believed possible.  
  
Gil finally drew back a little, leaning against Ray's shoulder. "Why would anybody do that to him?"  
  
It was the plaintive question of a child, protesting against the unjustness of the world. Gil knew very well what the answer was. They all did.  
  
"Who were they, Pop? It didn't say on the news." Fraser's voice was quiet, self-contained, like his father, but he'd been crying again too.  
  
"Just a couple of kids. Not much older..." Ray shook his head, remembering their initial bravado giving way to fear when they realised just how much trouble they were in. "They really thought nobody would care about a fag being beaten up."  
  
Ben's arms tightened around him again and another kiss was pressed against his neck. They were silent for a while. Nobody wanted to ask the obvious question, and Ray didn't want to volunteer the news.  
  
Finally Gil began to tremble in his arms. "Is he going to be all right?"  
  
The tightness in Ray's chest increased and he had to force the words out. "No. The doctors don't give him much of a chance, and if he does pull through, he'll be brain damaged."  
  
Another sob from Gil was echoed by Fraser. Ray pulled them both closer and felt Ben do the same. They clung to each other in a comforting, uncomfortable, tangle of arms and legs, each struggling with their own demons.  
  
*  
  
Ray's image flashed on the screen and Ben flicked the mute button on the remote. They listened to his voice announcing that the charges had now been upgraded to first degree murder, and that, in accordance with the Hate Crimes Act of 1998, the Federal Bureau of Investigation would be taking control of the case. Cameras flashed in the dim room and questions were called out, the reporters vying for Ray's attention.  
  
It was difficult to make out individual questions, but then Ray tensed visibly and singled out a reporter. "Can you repeat your question, please?  
  
Silence fell suddenly. The reporter looked more than a little startled to be the centre of attention so unexpectedly. "Lt. Vecchio, do you feel that you have investigated this case impartially?"  
  
Beside him on the couch, Fraser stiffened and swore. It was obvious enough what the reporter meant. Only six months before, Ray had been publicly outed, and this was his first press conference since then.  
  
Ray appeared to give the question some thought, but Ben knew that he was probably trying to control his anger. When he answered, though, his voice was only mildly sarcastic. "I've been in the police force for over thirty years now, and nobody's ever suggested I shouldn't investigate crimes against Italian-Americans. I don't see why this is any different."  
  
Even some of the reporters laughed at that. Fraser grinned. "You tell 'em, Pop." He nudged Gil and then fell into another silence at the sight of his lover's strained face.  
  
The scene on the television changed. A less than perfect video image of a standard college room. A lot like the room Fraser had inhabited, briefly, before he'd brought Gil home with him. There were several young men gathered there, and the camera zoomed in on one of them. A slight, delicate looking young man. Ben knew he was several years older than Fraser and Gil, but he didn't look it.  
  
A stifled sob from Gil diverted Ben's attention from the television. He wrapped his arm around Gil and Fraser did the same. On Ben's other side, Ray shifted closer too. When he looked back, the scene had changed to a large gathering of people, many of them wearing black armbands. The voice-over reported a large gathering of students outside the college offices. The same college that Fraser and Gil attended.  
  
Now there was a large, sombre-suited man declaring that the college board had ratified a non-discrimination policy which included sexual orientation. Fraser snorted. "Yeah. We've only been campaigning for that for the last five years."  
  
In spite of the situation, Ben had to suppress a smile. In the last three days, Fraser and Gil had been spending a lot of time at the Gay and Lesbian Student's Association offices on campus. Suddenly, it seemed, they were both activists. Well, if they continued to take an interest, it would be one good thing, at least, to come out of this tragic situation.  
  
Ben turned his head to look at Ray. He looked years older, and exhausted. Ben knew there was trouble brewing; that his uncharacteristic silence meant that Ray was brooding about something, and it wasn't hard to work out what it was. Ever since Fraser and Gil had announced they were in love, he'd started having nightmares again. He'd had them for years after he'd been beaten, almost to the point of death, by a group of young gay bashers. Eventually they'd stopped, but now they were back again  
  
He'd had a few nightmares of his own in the last three days, though he'd kept them from Ray. Half suppressed memories of that terrible night when he'd waited beside Ray's hospital bed, expecting his lover to die. Ray hadn't died, but the three nightmarish days that followed… Ben remembered wondering whether Ray would awake brain-damaged, or without any memory of their relationship… It wasn't something he wanted to relive, even in his dreams.  
  
The anchor was announcing a change in mortgage interest rates with precisely the same gravity as he had the preceding news item. Ben flicked the power switch on the remote, and the room was silent.  
  
*  
  
It was becoming familiar now… the shock of waking, the pounding of his heart and the sweat prickling all over his body. Ray uncurled himself from the foetal position and rolled onto his back with a sigh. The hand that had been stroking his arm was withdrawn and Ben's voice fell silent. He lay, shivering, beside his lover.  
  
"Ray?" Ben's voice was gentle.  
  
"I'm OK, now." He rolled over again and settled with his head on Ben's shoulder. The shivering gradually eased and he yawned. "I'm glad I'm off this case."  
  
"Ray, you would have handled it perfectly well, I'm sure."  
  
He smiled in the darkness. Benny always thought he was better that he really was. "It's not that. What they did… it was sickening, but I can't even hate them for it. They're just two kids who thought they were doing something that everyone would approve of." He sighed and stretched "They said they never intended to kill him, though how they could have expected anyone to survive that beating…"  
  
Ben's arms tightened around him. "We have to keep it in perspective, Ray. Hate crimes against gays have been dropping, since the Federal law was passed."  
  
"Yeah." He didn't find that particularly comforting. "Those kids are only the tip of the iceberg, Benny. We don't even know how many gays are beaten up every year because a lot of them won't report it, and even if they did…"  
  
He was silent for a long time, thinking of all the messages that had come to the Precinct over the last few days. A lot of them had outright endorsed the kids' actions, and even that wasn't what bothered him most. "You know what really scares me Benny? That ordinary people… good people, still believe that it's OK to discriminate against gays. That they think we're asking for special treatment when we want to marry, or even be safe on the streets and in bars.. As long as good, ordinary people… people like my family… think that, nothing's really gonna change"  
  
Ben shifted restlessly. "Ray, I'm sure none of your family think such things."  
  
"Not now, maybe. But they used to, before we got together."  
  
A hand began to stroke his head. "They changed, Ray. Other people can too."  
  
"Yeah, but how many more kids have to die before that happens, Benny?"  
  
There was no answer, but then he hadn't really expected one.

 


End file.
